The numbers - HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust

HCPT organises trips to Lourdes, a Christian pilgrimage site in south-west France, for about 6,000 people a year.

Total income: £4.5m for the year ending 31 October 2007, compared with £4.4m for the year before.

Highest salary: No employee was paid more than £60,000.

Reserves policy: The reserves policy is calculated on a yearly basis, taking into account the charity's main commitments and the main risks to income. Its target is to hold at least £950,000 and a further £250,000 to cover working capital requirements. This equates to about four months' unrestricted spending. At year-end, reserves were £1.25m.

Fundraising costs: The charity spent £226,000 on fundraising and its income was £1.15m, giving it a fundraising ratio of 19p in the pound. The previous year's ratio was 16p in the pound.

Pension: The charity offers a money purchase pension scheme, but does not contribute.

How performance is communicated

The website does not contain much information about the performance of the charity and is more focused on soliciting donations. It does have the trustees' report and annual accounts, however, and these explain the organisation's strategy, its objectives from the previous year and how it has been attempting to meet those objectives. The report also contains objectives for 2007/08 and details about how the charity intends to deliver these plans.

The charity says: "Income from voluntary sources increased slightly because of higher bequest income. Child sponsorship donations decreased in line with expectations, considering that the previous 50th anniversary year had been an exceptional period. Our groups and regions had another very successful fundraising year. Our trading subsidiary continued to trade successfully."

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